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A juvenile Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) is a small, noisy bird measuring about 34 to 43 cm long. Unlike adults, young birds lack a dark hood. They feature a mottled brownish back, brown wing patterns, a speckled breast, yellowish-pink legs, and a pale bill with a dark tip.
Key Identification Features
Head: White with a dark smudge or spot near the ear.
Body: Warm buff-brown streaking and mottling on the upper back and wing coverts.
Tail: White with a distinct dark or black band right at the tip.
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Bill and Legs: Flesh-colored, yellowish, or dull orange-pink rather than the bright red of an adult.
Wings: Show a bright white stripe (blaze) on the front edge of the inner wing during flight.
Behavior and Habitat
Diet: Eats insects, worms, scraps, and small fish.
Location: Found near lakes, ponds, farm fields, rivers, and coastal shores.
Development: They molt their brown juvenile feathers and transition to a pale gray back by their first winter.
